Wilting Souls
by NarshPotatoes
Summary: Prairie has taken over the task of defeating Model W as it struggles to defeat her in the form of a disease. Meanwhile, Forte and the others are doing all they can to help her. Will Prairie survive this ordeal?
1. So It Begins

Hello, Narsh here! So this story would just be a ship that only my friend and I enjoy.

No one else gets it. So yeah, if you were looking for sappy stuff today, you've found it!

Watch as I take these characters and make them completely out of character!

Games used: Megaman ZX, Megaman Zero, Megaman Battle Network

He can't remember how it happened. It started too fast and ended just as quickly. Knocked back against the wall and barely conscious, the scene came in flashes. She approached and kissed his forehead.

" _Goodbye…"_

The next thing he knew, she was on the ground. Lifeless, it seemed. He got up from the crooked position he was in, and ran toward her.

"Prairie! Prairie please…" he held her limp body in his arms, she was still warm. _How long had he been out?_ He scanned her condition for any injuries. None. She was still alive at least. He shook her gently...

"Prairie… Prairie, wake up..!" … to no avail. She didn't even stir. He checked her condition again, with the nagging fear that something was _terribly_ wrong.

Injuries: None

Condition: Asleep

Adrenaline Levels: Normal

I.C. Chip: ERROR

He froze. "... Wh-what..?" This couldn't be right… she was fine… wasn't she..? She was just resting, right…? He reset his scanner, hoping that it was he who had the problem. He checked again.

I.C. Chip: ERROR

"N-no… _NO!"_ worry and grief spread across his face, unable to keep it in. He picked her up in his arms and teleported to where Ciel was sitting in the Commander Chair. She stood up when he appeared; She already knew what had happened.

"Forte! Follow me," she rushed passed him, down the hall, Forte trailing at her heels. He looked down at Prairie's resting face, worry filling his every sense. _Why…. what did you do?_ They arrived at the Medical Wing, placing Prairie in an empty bed. Ciel and another doctor hooked Prairie up to a number of machines to get her vitals and to see her stability.

"Forte, I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside," Ciel pleaded.

"Wh-what?! No, I'm not leaving."

"Forte, please…"

"No, I can't stand idly by without knowing-"

"Forte, _leave!"_

He opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it. He buried his face in his cloak and left the room. Ciel looked back at him with a tinge of sorrow. Once he was outside, he teleported to the UnderNet and blasted a useless chunk of code as though it had looked at him funny. He blasted over and over until he was sure that all his energy was spent. He floated to the ground, suddenly feeling heavy. His legs collapsed beneath him and he fell to his knees. His hand came to his eyes, realizing that he had been crying. It withdrew and he stared at his wet fingers for a moment. Would she be okay?

" _Forte…"_

He snapped out of it, "P-Prairie?!" no… that was his communicator. He checked it and answered the call. It was from Ciel.

" _We… have a diagnosis,"_

Just like that, he was there, Ciel hadn't put down her communicator yet. She looked exhausted.

"Maybe we should… go somewhere else before I tell you?"

 _Oh no…_ He shakily nodded. They went to the deck, silence between them the whole way there.

"I… I don't know how I can tell you… she… she took in Model W into her own database to fight it off first hand and…"  
His eyes widened and he grabbed her by the arms, "she's doing okay right? She's winning, right!? She's going to survive, _right_?!"

She looked at him, not knowing what to say. Her expression saddened and she looked away. "No, she's not going to make it."

His stomach sank. He let go of her and his arms fell to his sides underneath the tattered cloak. A moment of silence passed between them.

"...How much longer…?" he asked breathlessly.

"About a month. There's nothing we can do. It's not a sub-conscious fight like one might think so that we can send someone like you to take care of it… It's just two beings fighting over the same mind. Her body and mind are at rest."

"No… there has to be _something!_ Let me see her."

"... alright," she responded hesitantly.

She led him back to the Medical Wing. He went to Prairie's side and transported himself into her mind. It was the same as it had always been. He'd been here before after all.

"Prairie?!" he called out. No answer. He walked around the endless amount of computers, hoping she would be somewhere there, waiting for him. The growing dust on the computers only seemed to mock him as he was walking. Searching for what felt like hours, he turned up with nothing. No sign of Prairie, no sign of anything. The frequent sightings of static-filled screens didn't help his motivation either. _No, she_ has _to be here. Ciel said that she was just… asleep? But where could she be?_ Pulling up his map database for the hundredth time, he searched for any sign of her, any inconsistency at all. Nothing.

He felt discouraged and just stared at the map hoping the answer would just pop out at him, and he could find her and he could solve this problem. _This idiotic problem that could have never happened if you hadn't gotten hit._ He thought. His fist clenched. _It was all your…._

 _ **Your**_ _fault._

The thought echoed around his head. It started to get louder and louder, screaming at him, making him want to cry out in agony. He dropped to his knees and hit the ground with his fist, causing the ground to crack. It didn't fix itself like it should've. He ignored it and pushed the screaming thoughts out of his mind. He pushed himself up using a computer console as support. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In… and out. He looked at the map once again. He blinked. There, right there! How could he have missed it? A small space that was open and completely free of computers! A small smile crept to the edges of his mouth. Where else could she be?

"Area Steal…" he muttered under his breath. In a blink he was on the outskirts of the open area.

"A… cherry blossom?" he wondered aloud. He looked up at the massive tree, its petals gracefully falling down to the floor. He found himself looking up at cyberspace, how strange that it seemed so far away, making the endless code glow as though they were stars. His gaze shifted back down to the base of the cherry blossom. There sleeping at the base, was Prairie. He ran toward her, with no hesitation and held her in his arms in a gentle embrace.

"P-Prairie? Can you hear me?" he cooed. He heard her stir.

"... Forte…?" her voice was weak but still intact. His vision began to blur. He was so overcome with emotion, he let it out in weak and small sobs.

"Prairie… I… I'm so glad you're okay…." he hugged her tighter.

"... I'm sorry…. I didn't know what to do and-"

"I don't care about all that. You're safe and that's all that matters," an uneasy silence. She wasn't telling him something. He pulled away from her and stared at her face to gather anything from her. She looked fragile, weak. A shell of the energy-filled face that was before. Her eyes were glossy and unfocused. She smiled weakly and wiped at the tear streaks on his face.

"Silly… you're not supposed to cry…. That's _my_ job…" she teased. He laughed, glad to have her back.

They sat and talked for as long as both were able, making sure to listen to every word the other said. Over the course of their conversation, their position shifted and Forte's back was now to the bark of the tree with his legs outstretched. Prairie sat in his lap, back leaning against his chest. They held their hands together.

Prairie coughed and her hand came to her mouth. Forte's smile faded.

"Are you okay, Prairie?"

"Y-yes I just… need to rest for now…" her head limply lay against his chest as she almost immediately drifted off to sleep. Forte cast a worried glance at her, but then shifted his gaze to the cherry blossoms above them. He noticed something he hadn't noticed before. Brown, withering, petals. The tree was dying.


	2. Delivery Day?

**Hey, Narsh here! Sorry for such a short chapter!**

 **So yeah, we find our… protagonists(?) making progress! (hopefully)**

 **A small break from sad that you will never see again!**

 **Games used: Megaman ZX, Megaman Zero, Megaman Battle Network**

He carefully removed himself from under her. He made sure that she look comfortable enough against the tree, kissed her forehead and left. Back in the material world, the room was dark. Forte sat in a chair next to her bed and looked over her. The plump doctor sitting next to the door stole a sideways glance at him, but went back to her coffee. Knowing him long enough, it didn't bother her too much if he suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She looked exhausted but when Forte began to stare at her too long, she softly smiled at him. It had been the night shift then hadn't it? What time was it? Forte checked his internal clock; 2:39 am. He had been there all night.

Forte got up from his spot and walked out of the Medical Wing, the doctor glancing at him once again before returning to staring into nothing. Forte walked down the hall. It was empty and dark, as one would expect in the night. Only the small wall lights lit up the floor just enough for him to navigate through the base. He arrived at the central command room where Ciel's room was located. He glanced at the three main navigators at their respectable computers. Each looked bored and exhausted but did not retire from working. Forte softly knocked on Ciel's door. A grumble came in response.

"... Who's knocking at this late…?" she grumbled. The door swiftly opened and Ciel stood before him, trying to look as presentable as possible. Unfortunately, her exhaust shone through.

"Oh, Forte… You're back."

"Yeah… I came about Prairie."

"I see…" she glanced at the navigators and then ushered him inside. She turned on a lamp and they sat down in chairs set next to each other. A side table sat next to one of the chairs and housed a small tea set.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked.

"... sure, I guess," he said. Ciel poured some green colored tea into a small cup sitting next to the pot. She handed it to him. He took a small sip of it. Matcha tea; was she trying to stay awake?

"So, what did you find out?"

"She's still conscious but she doesn't seem to be doing too well," he started.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that it seems that she has a disease of sorts; she tires easily and she was coughing frequently. Her eyes were glossy as well."

"I see… That might be Model W trying to kill her off, in the form of a disease."

"... Are you sure that there's nothing we can do?"

Ciel thought for a moment while she drank her tea. "... I don't know… If Model W is acting like a disease, then maybe we can treat it."

Forte's face brightened, "R-really? Then we can-"

Ciel held up her hand to stop him from saying anything further. " _Maybe._ We don't know if it will work and we don't have a sample to work with in the first place."

"I… see. Maybe I can get one, I just need someone to help me."

"Hm…. Alright. Giro is the only person I can think of who could help you." _And the only person you could trust,_ she wanted to finish, but held back her tongue. He put down his tea and stood up.

"Alright. Thank you for the tea, by the way." he said as he started heading for the door.

"Wait a minute," she called after him, "You're not thinking of talking to him now, are you? He falls asleep before I do, so that might not be a good idea." _he has twice as much work as anyone else here so I don't understand how he gets anything done._

"Oh… no, I'm not going to see him now. I'll wait until the morning."

"Alright. Have a good rest of the night." she sipped her tea. _Speaking of,_ she thought, _isn't tomorrow Giro's delivery day?_

"... You too."

… _He'll figure it out,_ she thought.

He closed the door behind him and walked down the hallway towards the elevator. He took it up to the deck, deciding to get some fresh air. Walking outside, the night air moved his cloak around and the light of the moon reflected off his helmet.

"Tomorrow," he said to himself, "I'll get Giro and he'll help me save you, Prairie…"

After thinking for at least another hour, Forte went to the roof of the flying airship and had a quick rest before sunrise. Waking to the sight of an orange and pink sky, Forte headed back inside. Guardians were already stirring as he went through the halls, some were already up. He headed down to the second floor, where Giro's room was. Walking through the hall, he noticed two female Guardians who were giggling over coffee, who kept looking back at Giro's door.

"Today's the day today, isn't it?" one of them said.

"Hehee~! Yup! Let's see how it plays out _this_ time," the other mused.

 _Huh? What are they talking ab-._ Before he could even finish that thought, Giro's door slammed open and out came Giro with tons of boxes in his arms. The boxes were threatening to topple over on top of Giro and they were stacked twice as high than he was tall.

"Out of the way!" he shouted down the hallway. The two girls from before giggled and then headed toward their rooms. Giro staggered down the hallway. Forte slipped behind him, Giro not noticing, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"GAH!" a box from the top of the pile fell off and hit Giro in the head, knocking his glasses to a slant. Forte caught the box before it fell to the floor and placed it back on the top using his GA.

"Ow…" Forte moved to the side of him so that he could see him better, "what do you-" Forte pushed his glasses back into their original position after cracking a laugh, "-Oh! Forte, hey! How are you this fine morning?"

"I'm doing fine… what are you doing?" he looked the pile of boxes up and down.

"Ah! This! Today is delivery day!"

"Delivery day…?"  
"Ah, yes, you haven't been around long enough," he began to walk toward the elevator, Forte following close behind, "delivery day is the day where I catch up on _every single_ package that needs to be delivered," he set the boxes down in the elevator, "I still own a delivery company, after all. UPWARD, TO THE TELEPORTER!" he goofily grinned and pointed his hand into the air while striking a confident pose, leaving Forte on the second floor.

"... Wha- wait! I need to talk to- and he's gone…." he sighed. He teleported himself to the third floor, where Giro was found already pushing the boxes into the teleport room. The grin was still on his face.

"Do you need any help, Giro?" Forte asked.

"Oh hello again! Nope! None at all! Doin' fine here!" he gave Forte a thumbs up and then continued pushing the boxes into the room. Once the boxes were successfully in the room and on the telepad, Forte walked in to spectate. He wasn't alone in this amusement.

"Giro, there's _no way_ you're going to send _all_ of those!" said little Sardine, gaping in astonishment.

"I _will!_ I did it last month didn't I? Besides, you're only six! What do _you_ know?" he said to amuse him. Sardine giggled.

"Are you _sure_ that you don't need help, Giro?" Forte questioned.

"I'm _completely_ sure! This may be one of the most _stressful_ days in my life but I can handle it!" Giro stated proudly.

"Haha… if you say so!" Giro loaded the last of the boxes on the telepad, "Alright! I believe that might be it!"

"Wait, Giro," Forte grabbed Giro's arm, "I hate to rain on your parade but I need to ask a favor from you about something… important to me," he nodded in Sardine's direction.

"Ah, right. Sardine, go play with Silure outside please," he said with a smile. Sardine left the room. Forte let go of Giro's arm.

"... so you should know that Prairie's been under… delicate care since we got back from that mission," Forte placed his words carefully.

"Yes, Ciel told me about that. What do you need me to do?"

"Yes, well, we found out that Model W is acting like a disease to her subconscious, so if we can treat her, we can help her."

"So you need someone to get a sample from her subconscious, don't you?"

"Yes, precisely. Can you do that? Please?" he pleaded. Giro thought about it for a moment.

"... Yes, I can help you… I can't guarantee that this will work; Model W is powerful and can't be trumped easily."

"Yes… I know," he frowned and looked down at the floor. The corners of Giro's mouth pulled into a slight frown. He placed his hand on Forte's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Forte looked up at him.

"Don't worry, Forte. We'll be by your side." he got onto the telepad, "see ya later, Forte," he saluted with two fingers at Forte and teleported away.

"Thank you…" Forte whispered to himself. He walked out of the teleport room, heading toward the Medical Wing. He would visit her again.


	3. Did Someone Say Pie?

**Hey, Narsh here! So here's another happy-ish chapter.**

 **I'm telling you, this story doesn't ever do this again.**

 **Maybe. We'll see. Again, it's a pretty short chapter but still a good length.**

 **The next one will be longer I promise!**

 **Also, cherry pie for the win.**

Prairie's mindscape had felt different that time around. It was cold and lifeless, almost as if it hadn't been touched in years. He shivered, even though he hadn't been affected by the cold around him. He teleported to the outskirts of the cherry blossom. He sensed a difference in signal around the area, as if a field had been put around it. He walked through it hesitantly, finding that it had only been a temperature field. It was warm near the tree, creating a calm feeling in his head.

He spotted Prairie curled up at the base of the tree, asleep and covered in pink petals. He approached her swiftly, eager to be at her side. He knelt down beside her and shook her shoulder gently. She frowned and groaned. Her eyes opened to see who had roused her from her slumber, only to find Forte staring back at her.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he teased. She smiled gently.

"You're back soon. Help me up?" she outstretched her arm toward him.

"Sure thing." He picked her up, letting her arm wrap around his neck. She was as light and as delicate as if she was one of the pink petals. Supporting her legs, he plopped down at the base of the tree, smiling at her as goofily as he could manage. This making her blush and giggle.

"So, what should we talk about today?"

"I don't know… what are you thinking?"

"... thinkin' about you," he said absentmindedly. She blushed and held his nose and stuck out her tongue.

"Hahaha! No but seriously! What are you thinking about?" He seemed surprised at her comment.

"I _am_ serious! I'm thinking about you! What else is there to think about? You're too adorable to _ignore_!" He was blushing almost as much as she was, hardly believing the words that were coming out of his mouth. She laughed.

"Alright then, I realize that even though we've known each other for a while, I know nothing about you. So… how about I ask you something?"

"Heh… what do you mean?"

"I don't know what you like! And I really want to get to know you before I…." she trailed off and her smile faded. She looked away.

"Hey," he tilted her head towards his, "You won't. I promise you, we'll save you. Tomorrow, I'll get Giro and he'll help you," he looked determined. Too sure of himself and too overcome with repudiation. She stared at him silently.

"... Just tell me about yourself," she said blankly. She didn't agree and didn't deny it. What was she thinking?

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Anything you can think of."

"Huh…. I like pie. Cherry pie, specifically," he smiled.

"Hehehe! Do you now? I personally enjoy apple pie more."

" _Apple pie?!_ No way; that's insane! Cherry pie is the only logical pie," he playfully shunned her. She laughed.

"How could you _say_ such a thing! _Apple_ pie is the clear better choice," and it went on like that. Avoiding the inevitable doom that stayed in the back of their minds, crowded and blocked by all their conversations. Only one of them knew what was to be, the other wouldn't believe it.

The hours ticked by as they told their stories. Eventually, Prairie closed her eyes and Forte noticed her.

"Hey! Are you falling asleep in the middle of my story?" he sounded astonished. She snickered but didn't open her eyes; she was playing with him.

" _Hey!_ I'm talkin' here! Are you-" he overdid a gasp, "Are you _ignoring_ me?" She continued to hide her giggles.

"You better open your eyes, Prairie." She let out a snort, but still didn't open her eyes.

"Alright, you're forcing me to use drastic measures." She giggled again. He leaned down to her face and kissed her nose. Her eyes flew open and her face flushed bright red. She couldn't find words to place. He drew back and grinned.

"See? I told you! Drastic measures!" he laughed. She pouted.

"If you're going to do _that,_ you have to do it right!" she sneered.

"Huh? What do yo-" and with that, she pulled him down to her face with both her hands and kissed him. Right on the lips. She pulled away and looked at him. His mouth was gaping and he was the most red she had ever seen him be. She had literally taken his words away.

First kiss. First kiss ever. First kiss they have ever shared. And what was he doing? Staring at her, dumbfounded, speechless and as red as a tomato.

"I-I…. I…" he muttered. She giggled.

"Cat got your tongue?" He sat there quietly, words failing him. What do you say in these situations?

"Hey," she waved a hand in front of his face, "are you alright?" She looked at him confused and worried that she actually broke him. Suddenly, he held her tight.

"Wha- What are you-"

"I never thought…. That there could actually be a way to love you more… but here I am…" he managed. She blushed.

"Wh-what-"

"Prairie, I… I love you… I really do…" his eyes watered. _What? But I'm happy… I'm not supposed to cry when I'm happy…_

"Forte," she pulled away from him and held his face in her hands. She noticed his welled up eyes and smiled, "I bet you don't know what you're feeling, do you?"

"What?"

"Why you're crying but seem so happy?"

"N-no… I guess I don't know… I-is… Is this what love is supposed to feel like?" She nodded.

"A feeling you can't describe. A feeling so unique and so intricate that words escape it. A feeling that humans strive to feel in their short lives. The fact that we are even able to begin to feel it is a blessing."

"... What are you saying?"

"How am _I_ supposed to know?" she smiled as tears started down her face.

"Prairie, you're…" he trailed off as he started to laugh. He hugged her.

 _Love, a feeling so unique and so intricate. How_ else _were they supposed to feel?_


	4. Don't Lie

**Hey, Narsh here! A little longer of a chapter than usual.**

 **Looks like things are starting to heat up!**

 **Poor Prairie...**

"Giro, I need you to come with me to Prairie's mindscape. I need you to take the sample." The directions caught Giro off-guard. He looked up from the paperwork that he was filing.

"Wait, now? I'm confused," he said off-set.

"You heard me, Giro. I need you to take the sample from Prairie. I need her to get better." He was determined, and so sure of himself.

"I, uh… Yes, of course. Let me gather some things first," he stammered. He rolled over in his chair and opened a drawer. He pulled out what appeared to be a data chip and put it in his pocket.

"Alright, let's go," he said.

They went up to the fourth floor, where Prairie was being kept. Giro nodded to a purple haired doctor who was standing by.

"Rose."

"Giro," she nodded back.

Giro pulled up a chair next to Prairie's bed. He sat down and looked at Forte.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, of course."

They both teleported into Prairie's mind, Giro leaving his body behind in sleep mode. They appeared in the same place that Forte arrived in the first time he was here. Giro was in his battle armor and quickly switched to his casual clothes.

"I suppose that the battle armor is default?" Forte inquired.

"Yes. Shall we go meet her?" Forte nodded.

"Area Steal…" he muttered, teleporting them outside the field that Prairie had made for herself. They walked toward her, Giro seeming to make no note of the cherry blossoms or the sudden warmth around them. He knew what he had to do and he was going to do it. Prairie looked up at their arrival. At least she was awake.

"Prairie, good to see that you're alive," Giro smiled and squatted down next to her. _...And well?_ Forte thought. Something was off.

"Hehe… Thank you, Giro… I'm glad to see _you_ at least… Forte mentioned that you would arrive soon enough." Something was definitely off. They talked as if they were trying to keep secrets from a child. What were they hiding?

"And knowing him, he probably didn't tell you that I'm here to take a sample. I hope you don't mind," he sneered.

She giggled weakly, "no, he didn't... I don't mind."

"Heh… Alright then." He pulled out a syringe and a small capsule.

"This will only hurt a bit," he said. Forte put his hand on Giro's shoulder. Not as a reassurance but as a "If you hurt her, you _will_ die" death grip. Giro gulped down his curiosity to look up at him and inserted the needle into Prairie's upper arm. He withdrew a small amount of data; data that could be replicated thousands of times over, almost like blood. He stuck the data in the capsule. Giro watched it for a moment, noticing how it twisted and contorted in a variety of blues and reds. It wasn't a pretty thing to watch. Forte stole a glance at the capsule and instantly recognized it; he knew bad code when he saw it.

Giro stood up, putting the capsule securely in his pocket.

"I'm sure you two would like to talk for a while longer so I'm going to see myself out. See ya!" he waved.

"Yeah… See ya." Giro logged out of Prairie's mind and back into his own.

"I uh… don't know much about what happened just then so can you… clear up the situation?" he requested. He sat down next to her.

"Hehe… as you wish. Giro just took a sample of my coding. It will be tested as it would a blood sample just… digitally."

"Ah, I see." They sat in silence for a moment.

"What did you two mean when…? Well, when you greeted each other?" he asked. She looked away.

"Forte… I am not going to make it. You should know this. There's no way to-"

"I _will_ save you!" he clenched his fist. Prairie felt something inside of her churn. _He was so tired. He was so tired of everyone saying that she wasn't going to make it. She_ would!

"You _will_ live through this. You _will_ survive! And I'll make sure that nothing, will _ever_ be hurt by that… that _maverick_ ever _again!"_ He was boiling at the surface. He _hated_ this. He hated this… maverick, disease, whatever it was called. He wanted it gone from his life. He wanted it gone from _her_ life.

Prairie coughed. She put her hand to her mouth and held her midsection.

"P-Prairie? Are you okay?"

"Leave…" she coughed again.

"Wha-"

" _Leave!"_

He stood up. He teleported out of there. _What happened?_ Now back in the Medical Wing, he stared into nothing, sorting out his thoughts. _Did_ I _do that? No… I couldn't have… The only other person who was there was…_ he stopped.

 _Giro._

He looked to the chair that Giro was sitting in before and he wasn't there. He rushed over to the medic that went by the name of Rose. He tried to keep in his anger.

"Did Giro leave? Do you know where he went?"

"Giro? He said he was heading down to the lab. Why do you-" she didn't get to finish her question; he was already out the door. Skipping the elevator ride down to the third floor, he teleported to outside of the lab. He marched through the door.

" _Giro!"_ he yelled. He tried to contain his anger, and he wasn't doing so well.

Giro looked up from his work. Seeing Forte's dark expression, he put his tools down.

"H-hey, Fleuve? Can you wait outside for a moment? I've got some private information to discuss," he smiled with a hint of desperation.

Forte eyed the scientist as he left the room and turned back towards Giro.

"What the hell did you do?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I-" he took a step towards him, "You hurt her! Whatdid you do?!"

Giro held his hand up to hold him back a bit. "I didn't do anything to her. Why would I _want_ to? With the state she's in…."

"Grah! _Liar!"_ he rushed at Giro and pinned him up against the wall by his neck. He summoned his Dark Arm Blade and held it at his side at the ready. The purple light reflected off of Giro's glasses. "You hurt her!"

"I swear I didn't, Forte." his hand inched close to his pocket where he kept Model Z. "I just took a sample; that doesn't cause any harm-"

"Stop _lying_ to me! I saw it myself! She was in pain! You were the only one that could have hurt her."

"Please, listen to me; I didn't hurt her. I was trying to help her."

"You fucker. I oughta-"

" _Forte_!" Forte looked behind him toward the voice to find Ciel in her armor, pointing her saber toward his head. She didn't want to do what she might have to do next, her expression looking uneasy, but she hid it well.

"What do _you_ want? This doesn't concern you." he scowled and glared at her.

"It _does_ concern me. Drop him, Forte."

He looked back toward Giro and glared at him.

"You don't understand, Ciel. He hurt Prairie."

"The last time that you made that statement, you were wrong." She scoffed, "I bet you haven't even listened to what he had to say, have you?" He froze. He stood there for a moment but then dropped Giro to the ground and returned his arm to normal. He kept his face hidden in his cloak.

Giro rubbed his neck and moved toward Ciel but was stopped by Forte grabbing the back of his collar and pulling him back.

"You're not off the hook yet," he scowled.

"Forte!" she glared at him. Forte glared back and grudgingly pushed Giro forward, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Thanks…" Giro muttered.

"Don't thank me yet. You're still in trouble with him like this," she glowered, crossing her arms and keeping her gaze with Forte. "Can I inform you, Forte, that Model W is fueled by certain strong feelings?"

"... What are you getting at?" Forte narrowed his eyes.

"Well, for starters," she took a small step forward and continued to glare at him, "Model W is fueled mostly by Cyber-elves but there are… other factors such as anger and fear. Most especially… Hatred.

"Forte, you could have very well hurt her yourself."

Forte's eyes widened, "What? No, you're lying!"

"I'm not. Anyone, even _you,_ can just as easily hurt her by feeling hatred, as someone can physically." He looked down at his hands. _Could what she be saying really be true?_

"N-no… I… I didn't…" He stumbled, crumbling under his own guilt. He felt dizzy and would have vomited if he was able. He gulped down his silent agony.

"... You have to… You have to help her…"

Giro and Ciel exchanged glances.

"I don't care what you do… Just… _help_ her… I'll do anything… Whatever it takes..."

He was desperate and he knew it. He didn't care. He wanted her to be well again. He wanted her to live. _Whatever it takes…_ He repeated in his head.

"Forte… you know…. You know that we can't guarantee anything," Ciel said woefully, "She had a spike of raw energy levels after you left, that came out of nowhere…. And it wasn't fuelling _her_ …." Forte looked up at her, crimson eyes filled with worry.

"You have to understand, there's little to nothing we can do to help her and there isn't much of a chance that this sample will provide much of a treatment."

"I… I see…" his gaze dropped. "But please… anything. Anything you can do to help her, do it."

"Look, Forte… we… I…" Giro sighed, "We'll do what we can."


	5. How Fitting

**Oh goshers... Hey, Narsh here! So this is a** _ **very**_ **short chapter.**

 **Sorry about that! It was needed for plot.**

 **Also, trigger warning of suicide and depression.**

 **Don't like, don't read!**

"Ciel, that's the third time that someone has asked me to check him. This is getting ridiculous!"

"I know, I know." Ciel rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration for a moment. She sighed. The other Guardians were getting frightened by Forte. Over the past two weeks, he had started to show signs of spiralling into depression and the others didn't know why he was acting so differently.

He kept to himself as usual but he stayed in corners of rooms more often, deep in thought. They ordinarily only saw him on the deck or hanging out in the breakroom. He had begun to take long periods of staying away from the Guardian HQ. The other Guardians were concerned that he was planning their demises. Or even worse; he was going maverick.

"Just the other day Scombrésoce was telling me all these rumors that everyone is spreading. Saying stuff like 'our doom is sure to come with that one'." He held a tense sigh, "This whole ordeal is a mess…"

"... Well what did you say to the people that requested him to be checked?"

"I told them that they shouldn't worry about it, of course. It's just… they all looked like they were ready to take him down if he made a bad move. I'm worried about him."

"I know. I am too, but what are we supposed to do? No one has seen him for the past four days. Plus he shut off his communication signal."

"Yes, that's true. I would expect him to be _more_ attached to Prairie but he's gotten more distant….. I guess it's for the best though. For now anyway."

"No, you're wrong. Prairie hasn't been stable ever since Forte's outburst against you."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. He also hasn't visited her since then so I think most of her stability comes from him. Forte needs to be found. And soon."

He looked over the forest until it reached the large city. Slither Inc.'s tower stood tall and brilliantly as it always did when compared to the rest of the city. The top glowed against the starry sky, increasing its statement of prominence.

Forte's back leaned against the cold boulder beside the cliff. How long had it been? Two days? A week? He couldn't remember. He didn't _feel_ like remembering. It had been all too much recently. Had he really hurt her? He couldn't face her again. Not after she…

He had heard all the other Guardians talking about him. Saying that he was starting to go maverick. He was starting to believe it. It felt like his entire existence was crashing down on him. He was powerless to everything. He thought he knew what he was doing. He thought he knew was going to happen, how his life would turn out.

He was a fool. How could he control this? How could he move on? He couldn't. It didn't seem possible.

It was all his fault. He couldn't deny it. Doubt and regret filled his thoughts, blocking out everything else. What he could've done or said to fix it. He was useless and unworthy of Prairie but she still stood by him. He couldn't figure her out. He wouldn't get to. It was all going to end for her and nothing was going to help. The treatment that Giro had been administering didn't have any effect and her stability and strength seemed to break away as the days passed.

A patrol-bot zoomed by. Forte moved out of the view of its visual receptors to avoid confrontation from Giro or anyone else. He didn't want to bother with them. They would only remind him of what was to come soon. Remind him that he's still worthless. Still unneeded and unnecessary. A dirty, unforgiving maverick.

He looked back at the Slither HQ tower. How brilliant and bold.

"Heh…" he sighed. _How fitting._ He got up from beside the boulder and stood there for a moment. _No use fighting if you know you aren't going to win_. He thought.

He inputted the coordinates and teleported.

"Commander! Cameras have picked up an unknown person at the top of the Slither headquarters! He keeps threatening the people that try to approach him to stay away. Should we step in, ma'am?"

"Yes, absolut-"

"No!" Giro interrupted, "Whatever you do, don't step in." They looked in bewilderment at Giro.

"Giro? What are you saying?" Ciel questioned.

"Just trust me, Ciel. It's Forte, I know it. I'll handle it," he rushed passed her to the transerver room. "C'mon… _c'mon…"_ he mumbled, willing the teleporter to input data faster. He finally got the coordinates of the Slither tower, near the top. He teleported.

He looked at the floor number. _Two floors. I can make it_. He started going up the stairs.

Forte looked down at the city. How small it seemed. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered. His cloak flew in the wind, like a free being of its own. He felt his cloak and gripped it. He pulled it off of him and looked at it down in his hands. Without it on, he felt bare and alone. _Heh… fitting._ He thought.

He hooked the cloth on a bolt that was sticking out of one of the walls. It didn't deserve the same fate that he did. It wasn't the maverick.

He approached the railing separating him from the open air. He looked out at the city once again. It seemed big this time. Almost as if it was accepting him into it. Accepting him into an endless freefall. He sat on the railing, his feet dangling over the edge. He looked down now. It looked bottomless. An endless chasm.

He wasn't thinking now. It wasn't necessary. _He_ wasn't necessary.

His heels touched the edge of the floor, before it dropped off. His hands were holding the rail, keeping him from falling. He wouldn't catch himself this time. He smiled…

…. And jumped.


	6. Don't Delay

**Hey, Narsh here! So a little warning here:**

 **Gore, depression and suicide. Don't like, don't read!**

 **Thanks! Bye!**

* * *

He wasn't falling anymore. What had stopped him? He looked down at his feet, dangling over the streets far below. The small lights being the only thing illuminating the streets. He wasn't falling. He wasn't floating. What was going on?

"Gghh! You're not gonna die on my watch!"

He looked up. That was it; he was being held by his arm. Giro was on the other end. He was barely holding onto the railing. His glasses were crooked but still somehow stayed on his face.

"You're _not_ dying. Do you hear me?!" Giro glared at him. Was he angry? Was he disappointed? Forte couldn't read him. Forte just blankly stared at him. What was happening?

"... Just let me go, Giro…"

"No! What did I _just_ say? I'm not going to let you die!" he started pulling up on the rail, pulling Forte along with him.

Making it over the railing and into the safe side of the roof, Giro made sure that he still had a tight hold on Forte's arm.

"Forte…. Why did you do that?" he stared at him, desperate for answers. Forte stood in silence. He still felt bare and vulnerable.

"Because… I'm useless…. And a maverick…"

"You're _not_ a maverick! You're a good person. You've impacted all our lives in more ways than you think. You've helped us. You've helped Prairie."

"... You're lying…"

"I'm not lying to you."

" _No_! You _have_ to be lying." he broke free of Giro's grip, "All I've ever _done_ is hurt people!" he backed up against the rail and started to climb on top of it.

" _No!"_ Giro ran toward him and pulled him off the railing, holding his arms, keeping him back.

"Get _off_ of me!" He pulled away from him and summoned a Dark Arm Blade and slashed at him. _No… no no no… please tell me I missed…_ Giro skidded back, his arms covering his head. _Please tell me he dodged…_ Giro's forearms started to bleed in the places they were hit. _O-only a small cut? That's good…._

"Ghk…" Giro's hand came to his side and he came down to one knee. Red started to bleed through his fingers. Forte started to tremble. _No… no no no no no._ Forte's mind was racing. What did he just _do?_

"Oh god, oh god. Giro… Giro I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I'm sorry! Giro… please-"

"I'm… I'm fine… for now…" he stood up, immediately regretting his decision. "Gah!" he was breathing hard.

"Giro… I… What can I do? I… I…" he started to reach a shaky hand toward him. Giro's gaze moved to the side, spotting Forte's cloak. He grabbed it and put it in Forte's hand.

"K-keep that… _That's_ what you can do… C-c'mon…" he started to move towards the door back to the inside.

"W-wait…! Giro what about your-"

"We'll worry about that later. Let's go." he ignored the blaring pain and grabbed Forte's arm with his other hand and pulled him to the door. They started to descend the stairs.

"Giro, p-please… l-let me-"

"I _said_ that we would worry about it _later,_ " he snapped. Nothing was going to change his mind now. "Look, I don't know if you heard anything or not but Prairie hasn't been in the most _stable_ of conditions."

"I-I know… _I_ d-did that to her…. I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

"That may be true but you are the only one that's been _keeping_ her stable. You need to see her."

"Wh-what? N-no… that can't be right…! I hurt her… how could _I_ helpher? She doesn't want to see a horrible monster like me…"

"You were experiencing hatred while you were around her weren't you? And she made you leave?"

"Y-yes…"

"She was tryingto _protect_ you. She was unstable in her state and so was Model W. If you had stuck around, you could have been hurt by Model W by stealing your energy and feeding off your feelings of hatred."

"But Ciel said-"

"Yes, I know what she said, but she left out some parts to what she said. Yes, you could hurt Prairie by feeling hatred, but after you left, she would have been fine. Model W would have nothing to feed off of." Forte continued to be pulled by Giro, mulling over his words.

"Do you understand now? Prairie needs you."

"I… Yes, I understand. Th-thank you."

"Now can we pick up the pace? I don't want to pass out here."

"Well if you would stop for a moment, I could-"

"With your mental stability? No, I don't think so."

They arrived at the transerver, and crammed into the small space. Giro trying not to get blood on the console. Now at the Guardian HQ, the pair stumbled out of the transerver. Giro let go of Forte momentarily to support himself on the pillar; he was losing too much blood.

"Giro, please! Let me-"

"Calm down. We're getting there."

Forte grumbled in annoyance at Giro's stubbornness, but then Giro grabbed his arm and proceeded to pull him out the door.

"Hey, Ciel! I found him!" Giro exclaimed. Drops of blood slipping through his fingers onto the floor.

"Huh? You found him? That's-" she gasped, "Giro! You're bleeding! What happened?" Forte started to shake again. _He_ had done that.

"Oh it's nothing! Don't worry about it!"

"No, it looks serious!"

Giro shot her a darkened glare with a smile and spoke through clenched teeth, "I told you it's nothing. We'll talk later. Capiche?" She nodded. They started walking toward the elevator. She followed them and they headed up to the Medical Wing.

"Wait, Giro, what are we doing?" Forte asked.

"You'll see." They entered the Medical area and Forte spotted Giro staring at Prairie.

"W-wait, no. I can't do this. I can't do this, Giro."

"Yes, you can."

"N-no, I can't. What if I hurt her again? What if she really doesn't want to see me again?" he doubted.

"Forte, trust me. She wants to see you," he glanced at the small screen that foretold of her stability, "Trust me, she does."

Forte looked at him, searching for a reason to say no, but found himself nodding.

"A-Alright," he stuttered. He put on his cloak. He walked over to Prairie and teleported into her mind.

Letting himself feel the pain again, Giro collapsed, Ciel catching him before he hit the ground.

"Ghk! Yup! Haven't felt like _this_ in awhile!" he said through clenched teeth.

"What did you even _do?_ How did you get a gash like this?"

"Forte accidentally hit me is all."

"'Is all'?! This is serious! Ugh, your arms too… Come on, get on a bed." She helped him onto a bed and forced him to take off his shirt. He flinched. "Oh dear… Giro, this is deep!"

Giro eyed his blood-stained gloves, "Ugh, this will take forever to get out…"

Ciel clenched her fist, "Giro! Can you think about _yourself_ for once!?" she glared.

Giro stared at her a moment, his eyes searching her face. He smiled, "If I did that, Ciel, nothing would get done! Don't you think?" She blinked for a moment. She then began to chuckle.

"Haha… yeah I guess you're right. But seriously, let's focus on getting you patched up."


End file.
